Air compressor



L. J. cLAPP AIR COMPRESSOR Dec. 31, 1935.

Filed Jan. 15, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. J. CLAPP AIR COMPRESSOR Dec. 31, 1935.

Filed Jan. 15, 1932 2 s heets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES 2,026,300 AIR COMPRESSOR Lewis J. Clapp, Claremont, N. H., assignor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 15, 1932, Serial No. 586,843

12 Claims.

My invention relates to air compressors, and more particularly to portable air compressors. An object of my invention is to provide an improved air compressor. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved portable air comprtssor having a large potential output. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved portable compressor having an internal combustion engine as the prime mover thereof -and' having provision for the employment of a plurality of different fuels selectively during operation. A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved portable compressor I mechanism having relatively large engine and 15 compressor units, from which substantial amounts of heat have to be dissipated, and having improved cooling arrangements made to care for the dissipation of such heat. object of my invention is to provide an improved o portable compressor having as a part thereof a compound compressor, and having improved cooling means for such a compressor. A still further object of my invention is to provide a large sized portable compressor having im- 25 proved means for bracing the construction thereof. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown one form which the invention may go assume in practice,'

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the illustrative embodiment of the invention with parts broken away to show details of construction;

Fig. 2 is an approximately central vertical sec- 35 tion through the compressor unit;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the axes of a single high and low pressure cylinder;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the structure of the compressor, and

Fig. 5 is an axial section through the low pressure cylinder inlet valve mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that front and rear wheels II and I2 support a heavy frame l3 at whose forward end a radiator 45 I4 is mounted in vertical transverse planes, and

near whose rear end a second radiator I5 is s imilarly mounted. Adjacent the radiator I4 is an internal combustion driving engine, generally designated I6. This engine is preferably of the 50 type which, while started with gasoline, is normally operated with fuel oil, thereby possessing desirable starting characteristics and yet having marked economy during the regular running of the portable compressor of which it forms a 55 part. This engine is connected through a suit- Yet another able clutch mechanism l1, whose details are not shown but which is manually operable by a lever l8, with a self-alining semi-permanent type clutch mechanism l9, which is supported on one end of the crank shaft 20 of a compressor 2| (see 5 Fig. 2).

The compressor 2| is of the four-cylinder compound type and comprises two low and two high pressure cylinders. The low pressure cylinders 23 are shown in-elevati0n in Fig. 1, and one is shown in section in Fig. 3. The high pressure cylinders 24 are more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the former figure showing the cylinders in elevation and the latter showing one of them in section. An intercooler 25 receives compressed. air from the low pressure cylinders 23 and supplies it to the high pressure cylinders 24. It will be observed that the intercooler is arranged vertically, primarily in the angular space between the planes respectively including the axes of the low and high pressure compressor cylinders, and is intermediate the radiator l5 and the compressor cylinders. The low pressure cylinders 23 have a common head 26, and discharge valve mechanisms 21 con- 25' trol the communication between these cylinders and a discharge manifold 28, which is connected by a connection 29 with the intercooler. A connection 30 from the intercooler leads to the inlet manifold 3| of the high pressure cylinders 24. 30

The inlet valves of the low pressure cylinder are designated 32 and have suitable inlet valve opening unloading mechanism 33 associated therewith. Suitable pneumatically operated inlet valve mechanism opening devices '34 are asso- 3 ciated with the inlet valves of the high pressure cylinders. At the extreme end of the compressor a receiver 35 is arranged, this being connected by suitable'piping 36 with the discharge spaces of the high pressure cylinders 24. Mounted above the receiver 35 is a fuel oil tank 31 connected by suitable supply connections with the fuel supply mechanism of the engine 5. An air pipe 39 leads to a moisture separator 40 and thence through a compressor discharge pressure responsive pilot valve 4|, to branch lines 42 and 43; theline 42 leading to the inlet valve unloading mechanisms 33 of the low pressure cylinders, and the line 43 leading to the unloading mecha- 50 nisms 34 of'the'high pressure cylinders. The gasoline tank 45' is suitably supported adjacent the engine I6 in the space between the latter and the compressor, and a water supply tank 46 is arranged between the gasoline tank and. the com- 1 the engine has come up to speed; that the low pressor and supported on suitable legs 41 by the frame I3. The gasoline from the tank 45 is used in the starting of the engine. When the engine is operating in a normal manner, fuel oil from the tank 3'! is the preferred operating medium, and to improve the operation of the engine, appropriate quantities of water from the tank 46 are admitted to the cylinders during the fuel oil operation. The water pump 18 of the engine l6 draws cooling liquid from the radiator l4 through a connection 48 and discharges it through a pipe 50 to the jackets of the engine cylinders, and a connection 5! leads to a return pipe 52 entering the top of the radiator.

Referring now to the cooling system of the compressor, it will be observed that a pump 54 suitably driven, as at 55, from the compressor crank shaft, takes cooling liquid from the bottom of the radiator l5 by a pipe connection 56 and discharges it through a connection 51 to the bottom of the intercooler. The Water passes from the top of the intercooler througha pipe 58 to a branch connection 59, from which a connection 60 leads to the jackets of the low pressure cylinders, and a connection 6! to the jackets of the high pressure cylinders. Connections 62 andv 53 return the water from the tops of the jackets of the low and high pressure cylinders, respectively, to a return connection 64 opening into the top of the radiator I 5 vided; the upright radiator IS, the upright water passages 62 and 63, and the pipe 64 providing a well braced structure, and radiator l4, through the piping 52 and the strut 65 and the connecting devices shown in Fig. 4 and just described, being stoutly connected with the mechanism at the other end of the portable compressor. The low pressure cylinders are provided with an air cleaner protected intake 15.

No extended description of the mode of oper- 1 ation of this mechanism is essential, and it may simply be said that the engine I6 is started with the use of gasoline from the tank 45; that when it has been warmed up a transfer is made to fuel oil from the tank 31; that at higher speeds, particularly when fuel oil is being used, water from the tank @6 is admitted to the cylinders of the engine; that the engine is connectable by manipulation of the lever I8, and through the clutch mechanism IT, to drive the compressor 2| when pressure cylinders of the compressor draw in air through the air cleaner protected intake 15, compress the air and discharge it through the connection 29 into the intercooler; that the high pressure cylinders draw air from the intercooler through the connection 30, compress it and discharge it to the receiver 35 through the piping 3,6; and that when the receiver pressure reaches a predetermined desired maximum the automatic unloading valve ll opens to admit air to act upon the inlet valves of the low and high pressure cylinders and open the same, thereby unloading the compressor. When the air pressure falls to the predetermined desired; lower pressure limit, the

pilot valve 4! vents the air previously supplied to the unloading mechanisms and the compressor again performs its pumping functions. The engine and the compressor are each cooled by their own individual cooling systems. The two radi- 5 ators spaced by nearly the entire length of the compressor are strongly braced and yet spared a considerable part of the vibration of the engine l6. In the event of minor differences in the length of different compressor frames during 10 manufacture, and in the spacing of the units thereon, the necessary adjustment is provided for by the connecting devices shown in Fig. 4. The gasoline and water tanks are conveniently arranged in well protected position between the 15 engine and the compressor.

While I have in this application specifically described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form is shown for purposes of illustration and 20 that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a compressor mechanism, a frame, a compressoron said frame, an internal combustion driving engine for said compressor also on said frame, said compressor and engine having alined crank shafts, and independent cooling 3Q,- systems for said engine and compressor including radiators individual'to each of the same and spaced apart longitudinally of said frame a greater distance than the overall length of the compressor and engine arrangement, to receive 351; the latter between them.

2. In a portable compressor, a frame, alined internal combustion engine and compressor units on said frame, radiators. at the remote ends of said units arranged in planes transverse to the 9% alinement of said compressor and engine, and means for effecting circulation of cooling fluid from. said radiators to said units.

3. In a compressor mechanism, a frame, a, compressor on said frame, an internal combus- 5$ tion driving engine for said compressor also on said frame, and independent cooling systems for said engine and compressor including radiators individual to each of the same, said radiators spaced apart longitudinally of said frame and said compressor and engine disposed wholly within the space between said radiators.

4. In a portable compressor, a frame, an internal combustion engine adjacent one end of said frame, a radiator at the engine end of said frame, a compressor arranged in alinement. with said engine and driven thereby, a radiator at the end of the compressor remote from the engine, and means including liquid circulating systems associated with said radiators for bracing the upper ends of the latter.

5. In a portable compressor, a frame, a radiator at one end of said frame, an internal combustion engine adjacent said radiator and having a cooling system of which said radiator forms a part, a. compressor operatively connected for drive by said engineand in spaced relation thereto, a radiator remote from said first mentioned radiator, said compressor having a cooling system of which said last mentioned radiator forms 7Q? a part, and means including circulating piping forming a portion of the cooling system of the compressor for bracing the first mentioned radiator through the bracing means for the second mentioned radiator.

6. In a portable compressor, a frame, a compressor thereon, a multi-fuel driving engine for the compressor, and a plurality of tanks for respectively containing the different fuels of said engine, one arranged between the engine and compressor and the other arranged at the remote end of the compressor from the engine.

7. In a portable compressor, a frame, a compressor thereon, an alined driving engine for said compressor operative on fuel oil, a fuel oil tank supported by said frame adjacent the end of the latter remote from said engine, and a tank for water to be admitted to the engine during operation of the latter disposed between the engine and the compressor.

8. In a portable compressor, a frame, a, compressor on said frame, an alined engine for driving the compressor also supported on said frame, a plurality of liquid fuel tanks for said engine, one of which is disposed between the engine and the compressor, and a tank for a further liquid used with said engine during operation of the latter with one of said fuels also disposed between said engine and compressor.

9. In a compressor mechanism, a frame, a compressor on said frame, an internal combustion driving engine for said compressor on said frame, a heat exchange device individual to said engine at one end of said frame, and a heat exchange device individual to said compressor at the other end of said frame, said heat exchange devices having said engine and compressor between them on said frame.

10. In a compressor mechanism, a frame,,a compressor on said frame, an internal combustion driving engine for said compressor on said frame, a heat exchange device individual to said engine at one end of said frame, and a heat exchange device individual to said compressor at the other end of said frame, said heat exchange devices having said engine and compressor between them on said frame with said engine and compressor respectively each nearer the heat exchange device which is individual to it..

11. In a compressor mechanism, a frame, a compressor on said frame, an internal combuse tion driving engine for said compressor on said frame, said engine and compressor having crankshafts whose axes of rotation are each parallel to a line extending longitudinally of the frame, a heat exchange device individual to said engine at one end of said frame, and a heat exchange device individual to said compressor at the other end of said frame, said heat exchange devices having said engine and compressor between them on said frame.

12. In a compressor mechanism, a frame, a compressor on said frame, an internal combustion driving engine for said compressor on said frame, said engine and compressor having crankshafts whose axes of rotation are each parallel to a line extending longitudinally of the frame, a heat exchange device individual to said engine at one end of said frame, and a heat exchange, device individual to said compressor at the other end of said frame, said heat exchange devices having said engine and compressor between them on said frame with said engine and compressor respectively each nearer the heat exchange dedevice which is individual to it.

LEWIS J. CLAPP. 

